Journey
by kittennjoy
Summary: Humans have died off nearly completely. Now there are guardians to keep balance. A dog and a cat always, and counterparts. The wolf to the snow leopard, the african wild dog to the serval, the hyena to the cheetah, and so on. But when a counterpart is killed a replacement must be found... Who is it? Sorry for weird category- not really a fanfic, just a story! Please enjoyyy
1. Chapter 1

"Not much further, Kayuna, really! Toughen Up…" Barked Taigo happily as he ran along the snowy forest edge.

"Taigo, believe me, I'm normally quite equipped for snowy weather. At least, I WOULD be now- if you hadn't enforced snow ball fighting…" Kayuna snarled part agitated but with a hint of happiness.

The happiness falls short. Taigo looks at the sky and gasps. "We're late!" He howls. The two pick up the pace and flee to the cliff side where the meeting is taking place.

Far across the scene atop a barren, dead, tree, there sat a dark coated coyote.

"What should we do to eliminate them, boss?" asked a large, midnight black crow. He sat across and stared at the coyote's unblinking, red, eyes.

The coyote was at first frighteningly silent. Then he moved his head in a swift movement to look at the crow. "Kill them. Both. Make it look… accidental." The coyote spoke with a sinister glee.

The crows flew to the dangerous path in the cliffs. They knew that Taigo and Kayuna would have to cross the dangerous way to get to their destination sooner or later.

"Taigo, wait up!"

That was the cue. The biggest crow soared down and rammed himself into the unsuspecting snow leopard. Kayuna was smacked forcefully into the rocks.

"HEY!" growled Taigo. He began to bark. The crows ignored it and attacked, cawing and ramming, him as well.

The fight continued. Kayuna was still fighting up against the rocks, whereas Taigo was on attack instead of defense. "BARK! BARK BARK!" He continued to bark and snarl at the demonic aviaries.

Suddenly the fight stopped. A gentle slipping noise was heard. "HELP!" Kayuna wailed. The leader, and biggest, of the crows had scraped her shoulder and distracted her long enough to shove her off the edge of the cliff. Below, waited a river of no escape. "TAIGO!" she screeched again.

Taigo turned immediately and ignored the crows. His only instinct was to help his counterpart. He ran to the edge as well to see that Kayuna was slipping, and had only her sharp claws digging into the rocks.

"Kayuna! Hang in! I will get you out!" Taigo screamed. He bent down to try to grab her scruff in his long muzzle.

"_You can never help your friend. She is a goner, as are you!" _The crows hissed. Taigo snarled at them and turned his head. That gave the crows just enough time to push Kayuna for good.

All time slowed down. Taigo howled as he bent down to see Kayuna. She stared up at him before she fell. As this happened, a single tear fell from Taigo's wolfy muzzle and landed on Kayuna's nose. It gave her enough courage to stare at him one last time and say "I'll see you soon. I promise."

Every crow was mercilessly killed by Taigo. He showed no pity, as he seeked revenge for his counterpart. He ran to the mountains and told all the other guardians what had happened.

How could the world survive now, after a guardian was missing? She must be replaced somehow. Then, the next mating season, it happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Far across the land, in present time, sat a dark colored wolf. He sniffed the air carefully and turned his head West. "It's time," he said, "She has been born."

He wanted to go see her, and he knew he should. But he couldn't, bound by necessity to save her life with might possibly be his own. He turned away, behind him, to the deserted forest. He stood, and began to run.

Panting and running hard, he said between breaths, "I know that I may die doing this, but it must be done. He is as strong as me, and my chances of winning are slim." A tear ran down the side of the wolf's cheek and got lost in the behind wind. "If I die today I'll see you sooner."

. . . . . . . . .

In the opposite direction, the direction of a forest that was teeming with life, a bundle of infants were born. Three, to be precise. Or so the Mother thought.

"Sencall," she called lightly, "Come here, quickly!"

A large snow leopard walked into the dens where his cubs had just been born. He smiled. "They're beautiful…" he muttered, unable to speak. It was Sencall's second time having cubs. The first time, during the big blizzard that killed off the humans, none of the five cubs lived. He looked at the smallest cub, a creamy white snow leopard female. A tear ran down his cheek.

"No… No! No, no no… it can't be. Trasiya, no. It isn't…" Sencall couldn't bear it. Trasiya took a large paw and separated the two larger cubs, a male and a female who were both light grey, and moved them behind her leg.

She looked down at the little female snow leopard. She licked her fur for a long time, trying to get a breath or a gasp to come out of her tiny mouth.

Nothing. The baby was gone, if she wad ever there to begin with. Trasiya glanced at Sencall. "Sencall, I'm staying here with the new cubs. Please find a good spot."

Sencall scruffed the baby and took her far away to the middle of the snowiest range of the territories. Sencall began to cry. "Not another one. If you had lived, I would have called you 'Katiyana'. Goodbye…"

Sencall laid Katiyana down in the middle of a small break in the ground. It began to snow.

. . . . .

Katiyana looked at the deep blue sky. "Meow?"


End file.
